North Korean motels are seeing a sharp rise in customers after operators across several major cities quietly stopped requiring travel passes, a move driven by investors seeking to reverse years of poor business, sources said this week.
A source in South Pyongan province, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told Daily NK recently that motel operators in Anju and other major cities have streamlined their entry requirements, now accepting a national ID card in place of the travel permit and registration paperwork previously required.
In the past, motel guests were required to present both a national ID and a travel permit, and motel operators were obligated to share customer information with police. The cumbersome process led many North Koreans to avoid motels altogether, fueling the growth of informal home stays.
“Motels might have fancy signs, but nobody wanted to visit them because they were overpriced and strictly controlled,” the source said. “Motels were the least utilized of any public-facing business.”
Investors struck deals with police to ease entry rules
Beyond relaxing paperwork, motel operators have invested in better heating, hygiene, and simple meal service in an effort to improve their reputation and justify their prices.
“Many motel investors weren’t earning a profit because of the tedious paperwork,” the source said. “With the hope of bringing in more customers, those investors have come to an understanding with the local police to let motels serve people without travel passes.”
The relaxed policies reflect the financial calculations of individual operators rather than any shift in government policy. Social controls on movement are still tightened before major political events, and motels are reportedly checking papers more strictly ahead of the Feb. 16 birthday of Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s largest national holiday.
“Before every major national event, controls are tightened with no exceptions made,” the source said.
Some observers inside North Korea have noted that if the state formally eased access to motels, it could actually benefit the government by shifting travelers out of unregistered private homes and back into establishments that are easier to monitor.
Reporting from inside North Korea
Daily NK operates networks of sources inside North Korea who document events in real-time and transmit information through secure channels. Unlike reporting based on state media, satellite imagery, or defector accounts from years past, our journalism comes directly from people currently living under the regime. We verify reports through multiple independent sources and cross-reference details before publication.
Our sources remain anonymous because contact with foreign media is treated as a capital offense in North Korea — discovery means imprisonment or execution. This network-based approach allows Daily NK to report on developments other outlets cannot access: market trends, policy implementation, public sentiment, and daily realities that never appear in official narratives.
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